Ocklawaha man sentenced to 7 years for manslaughter

Matthew Gunter, right, looks toward the back of the courtroom as he sits with his defense attorney, Tania Alavi, before being sentenced by Circuit Judge Brian Lambert at the Marion County Judicial Center in Ocala Friday. Gunter was sentenced to 7 years for manslaughter.

Bruce Ackerman/Star-Banner

By Vishal PersaudStaff Writer

Published: Friday, February 1, 2013 at 10:46 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, February 1, 2013 at 10:46 a.m.

An Ocklawaha man accused of delivering a fatal punch that killed his friend pleaded no contest to manslaughter Friday and was sentenced to seven years in prison.

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Matthew Q. Gunter, 20, was charged with manslaughter in connection with the death of Travis Henshaw, 23.

After his arrest in August, Gunter said he had been upset to hear that his girlfriend had sex with Henshaw. He gathered a group of friends and went to Henshaw’s house.

Using the ruse of getting Henshaw to sign a friend’s birthday card, the friends lured Henshaw onto the front porch, where Gunter delivered the fatal blow, prosecutor Jeanine Nixon said.

Henshaw’s head hit the side of a door and then the concrete floor, causing severe brain trauma, according to a Sheriff’s Office report.

He was taken to Munroe Regional Medical Center and then Shands at the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he died.

Shortly after being arrested, Gunter said he stood over Henshaw after punching him and asked why he had had sex with his 21-year-old girlfriend, whom he had been dating since he was 14.

The couple have a child together.

Gunter was remorseful at the time and said he didn’t mean for this to happen. He wrote an apology letter to Henshaw’s family.

But he was reticent in court Friday, making no official statements after he accepted a plea agreement from the State Attorney’s Office.

Gunter’s court-appointed defense attorney, Tania Alavi, mentioned in court Friday that, according to reports she saw from the hospital, Henshaw had toxic levels of methamphetamine in his system. A possible cause of death could have been a heart attack, she said.

But Nixon said a medical examiner determined that Henshaw died as a result of a brain hemorrhage.

In addition to the prison time, Gunter must also pay a $500 fine and $800 in restitution.

<p>An Ocklawaha man accused of delivering a fatal punch that killed his friend pleaded no contest to manslaughter Friday and was sentenced to seven years in prison.</p><p>Matthew Q. Gunter, 20, was charged with manslaughter in connection with the death of Travis Henshaw, 23.</p><p>After his arrest in August, Gunter said he had been upset to hear that his girlfriend had sex with Henshaw. He gathered a group of friends and went to Henshaw's house.</p><p>Using the ruse of getting Henshaw to sign a friend's birthday card, the friends lured Henshaw onto the front porch, where Gunter delivered the fatal blow, prosecutor Jeanine Nixon said.</p><p>Henshaw's head hit the side of a door and then the concrete floor, causing severe brain trauma, according to a Sheriff's Office report.</p><p>He was taken to Munroe Regional Medical Center and then Shands at the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he died.</p><p>Shortly after being arrested, Gunter said he stood over Henshaw after punching him and asked why he had had sex with his 21-year-old girlfriend, whom he had been dating since he was 14.</p><p>The couple have a child together.</p><p>Gunter was remorseful at the time and said he didn't mean for this to happen. He wrote an apology letter to Henshaw's family.</p><p>But he was reticent in court Friday, making no official statements after he accepted a plea agreement from the State Attorney's Office.</p><p>Gunter's court-appointed defense attorney, Tania Alavi, mentioned in court Friday that, according to reports she saw from the hospital, Henshaw had toxic levels of methamphetamine in his system. A possible cause of death could have been a heart attack, she said.</p><p>But Nixon said a medical examiner determined that Henshaw died as a result of a brain hemorrhage.</p><p>In addition to the prison time, Gunter must also pay a $500 fine and $800 in restitution.</p>